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Synopsis: When Lola’s parents are laid off, Lola tries to support the family by selling lemonade rumored to be a fountain-of-youth allergy-busting elixir. A problem arises when her rival for class president opens a competing “limo-stand” out of the back of his father’s Cadillac. The battle for squirt and slurp champion is on! When closely-kept secrets are revealed, however, Lola must decide what it means “to win” and whether her rival might instead be a crush.

Excerpt from Chapter I, Pg. 5-6

“The plant doesn’t need us anymore. They’re shutting it down. Almost one thousand people out on the street,” said Lola’s mother, picking up the keys to her new cherry-red Mustang and fiddling with the eight-ball fortune-telling key chain. “Will I get my job back soon?” She shook her head as she read the message on the eight-ball. “Try again later.”

Lola pushed the peanut butter jar aside. “I can’t believe it!” You’ve worked in that car cave since I was a hiccup in your belly. They can’t do that to you. It’s not fair!”

Her father emerged from the hallway to take a seat next to his wife. The purple velveteen couch, purchased for $75 at a flea market, sank under their weight. “I don’t want you worrying, Lola. We’ll be okay.” Together the Zolas stared at Bowzer’s missing tail.

Lola hated to see her father, usually such an optimist, sitting sadly on the couch. It wasn’t like him to mourn. In fact, when the gopher bit off Bowzer’s tail, her father – always looking on the bright side – insisted, “Don’t worry, Lola, your tuxedo kitty will grow another tail.”

Lola was still waiting for the Rump God to act.

Her father wiped the sweat from his brow. “They said they couldn’t afford to pay our salaries anymore. The plant wasn’t making enough profit.”

“Why not?” asked Lola.

“I don’t want to talk about it, doll,” said her mother.

“Gee whiz, no one wanted to talk about anything anymore. Lola might as well have lived in a library. At least people whispered there.”

## ##

Graphic Organizer for Making Inferences

Common Core Reading Standard (4th & 5th grades & 6th grades)1. Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Character

1. Lola’s mother

2. Lola

3. Lola’s father

4. Lola’s mother and father

5. Lola’s mother

6.Exposition

Says/Does

1. “Will I get my job back soon?” She shook her head as she read the message on the eight-ball. “Try again later.”

2. “I can’t believe it!” You’ve worked in that car cave since I was a hiccup in your belly. They can’t do that to you. It’s not fair!”

3. “I don’t want you worrying, Lola. We’ll be okay.”

4. Together the Zolas stared at Bowzer’s missing tail.

5. “I don’t want to talk about it, doll,” said her mother.

6. Gee whiz, no one wanted to talk about anything anymore. Lola might as well have lived in a library. At least people whispered there.

Inference/Conclusion

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Common Core Writing Standard (4th & 5th & 6th grades)

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

Assignment:

How do Lola and her parents react to the news that her parents are laid-off? In a polished paragraph, cite and analyze evidence from the text to support a topic sentence.

Topic Sentence:

Example/Detail:

Passage/Quote:

Inference:

Another Example/Detail:

Quote/Passage:

Inference:

Conclusion:

Grading Criteria: topic sentence; at least two textual examples to support the topic sentence; two inferences; conclusion All – 4

Most – 3

Some – 2

Little, if any – 1

To read other excerpts, visit www.lolazola.com or Lola Zola and the Lemonade Crush on Amazon.